Bond - Pluribus 2004

THE WINE ADVOCATE: WINEADVOCATE:"Perhaps the wine that jumped the most in score from when I first tasted these wines out of bottle in 2008, is the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Pluribus. Rated 94 back in 2008, it’s now a solid 98 and knocking on the door of perfection. This wine comes from a Spring Mountain vineyard northwest of the charming town of St. Helena. It has gorgeous notes of graphite, acacia flowers, blueberry liqueur, scorched earth and hot stones. Reminiscent of a top Graves, it is another full-bodied, rich, concentrated wine with good acidity as well as fabulous purity and concentration. I had not seen the Graves-like character in this wine prior to bottling and post-bottling, but it is there now. This stunner is open for business and its fragrance and suppleness suggest drinking it over the next two decades."

WINE SPECTATOR: WINE SPECTATOR:"A rich, opulent, fleshy style, brimming with ripe black cherry, wild berry and currant flavors that are supple and well-focused, keeping the fruit well-centered and ending with ripe tannins that have a nice earthy, cedary edge. There's wonderful length on the finish. Best from 2009 through 2018. 630 cases made."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: WINE CELLAR INSIDER:"Perhaps it was this particular bottle, but I was not as wowed as I had expected to be. While there was ample scents of licorice, earth, dark berries and oak along with good concentration of ripe fruits, there was some dryness in the finish.

WINE ENTHUSIAST: WINE ENTHUSIAST:"In the Bond stable, Pluribus marches to a different beat. There's something of a baked pastry quality, with scents of marzipan, blackstrap molasses, and blackberry-cherry pie filling. This is the rawest Bond wine, the most tannic and least approachable. It's almost rustic in heft, like an Amador Zinfandel. Best to cellar for a few years, and could go the long haul."